The golf course saw a fair amount of changes in the summer of 2023, so the 2024 Truist where Rory and Xander lifted and separated is really our best reference point for how the golf course will play this week. My assumption is that the course will be set-up very similarly to the 2024 Truist, not the 2025 PGA Championship. In the summer of 2023, greens were resurfaced with Tif Eagle Bermudagrass and slopes softened on 12 greens to reclaim lost hole locations due to modern speeds (1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th).

Tees were laser leveled and squared up with the landing areas. The 10th was shortened 15 yards and the 16th extended by 23 yards to a 529-yard par 4. Bunkers received new liners and Spruce Pines 55 sand. Trees were planted to tighten eight landing areas (1st, 2nd, 5th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th). The ninth hole was also lengthened by 45 yards. Previously a 485-yard par four, it will now play as a 530-yard par four.

The biggest change between the 2024 Truist and the PGA Championship last year was the rough height. For the PGA, Quail featured 2.75’’ over-seeded rough as opposed to the regular 2.0’’ rough for the Truist, which certainly increased somewhat of the challenge off the tee. More on this later. I would expect the rough length to return to 2 inches this year, but be sure to follow along in the Discord for further updates.

For the rest of Andy’s preview article, click here.

The European swing of the DPWT begins this week with the return of the Catalunya Championship at Real Club de Golf El Prat. Since a big renovation in 2003, El Prat has twice hosted the Open de Espana in 2011 and 2015. Both of those events were won at 10 under. There are 45 holes at the El Prat complex, and while the back nine this week will be the same as in those events, this week uses a different front nine making up the Pink course.

The Pink course at El Prat is a very short 7,057 yard par 72 with undulating topography and challenging greens that almost feels like two courses in one. Both nines start in the more open fields near clubhouse before venturing into the dense forest before returning to the fields. The fairways and greens are Bentgrass with Fescue and Bluegrass in the rough.

What makes El Prat so short are the collection of par fours. The longest is the difficult 465 yard 16th, which plays down the hill to a green protected by the only water hazard on the course. But it is the only par four over 450 yards, and six of the ten par fours are under 400 yards. The only one of these that could be considered driveable is the 354-yard 12th, which is a dogleg left around a collection of bunkers set into the hillside that has a 315-yard carry to the front edge off the tips.

For most it will be an iron lay up to the corner, but they could use a forward tee that makes it a more realistic 270 yard carry on the weekend. Most of the other par fours play in the forest section of the course, with less than driver to keep it out of the trees and set up wedges the common play.

For the rest of Bexico City’s preview article, click here.

Last week at the Cadillac Championship, I got really cute and went with Russell Henley, who got me roughly $48k. It was a complete disaster as I faded the bomber narrative. To be fair, I didn’t have many of the bombers in the field because I wanted to use Rory or Ludvig here, however, neither of them played. It’s time to bounce back this week at Quail Hollow.

This week at the Truist Championship, I am not going to overthink or get cute as we have 8 signature/majors left on the calendar. With that being said, my pick for OAD at the Truist Championship is Masters champion Rory McIIroy.

There’s a lot of people who believe that since Rory won the Masters and at this point in his career, he doesn’t care about winning PGA Tour events and only cares about winning major championships. I do think that is true that his full focus is winning major championships, however, Rory loves Quail Hollow and is a member here. He is going to want to win this event and stay hot heading into the Mink next week.

Rory doesn’t play that much on the PGA Tour so playing him at a course where he has the best course history and fit on the schedule, despite him being probably the chalkiest pick on the week, I am fine eating it. I am also front running in the ISN and in the top 300 in the RickRunGood pool so I am playing my position a little here.

If you do not want to take someone who is projected to be highly owned like Rory, Xander, or Aberg, I considered Adam Scott, who is one of the hottest players on approach in the field and is long off-the-tee.

2026 OAD Total: $9,834,422

We are officially 8 days away until balls are in the air at Aronimink Golf Club, host of the 2026 PGA Championship. Weekly readers of our newsletter are familiar that I’m from the suburbs of Philadelphia and am a huge sports fan to say the least, especially for the Eagles. 

Ever since the PGA of America announced that Aronimink would be hosting this year's PGA Championship, I’ve had this week penciled on the calendar. 

Philadelphia receives a shortage of opportunities to host professional golf tournaments, in which I hope this changes, and it sounds like it will under Brian Rolapp. Yes, Philly Cricket Club hosted the Truist Championship last year, however, that was because Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship last year and the Truist Championship needed a temporary home.

Before last year, the last time the Philadelphia area hosted a professional golf tournament was the 2018 BMW Championship at Arnoimink, and prior to that was the 2013 US Open hosted at Merion Golf Club. 

After being on the grounds at Philly Cricket last year for three days, the energy was palpable and the city of the most passionate sports fans showed up big time. My friends and I attended the final round on Sunday and were on the 72nd hole when Straka and Lowry were battling to the end. It was a mob scene in which Philly fans were getting rowdy and loud as expected. 

I have personally never played Aronimink Golf Club, so the research I have done has been listening to our content from Andy and Steve’s preview podcast back in December, the Fried Egg video with Gil Hanse on Aronimink, and the Golf Digest hole by hole preview video. 

There are many concerns out there about how the golf course is going to hold up against the best players in the world. After watching these videos, the biggest defense to the golf course is firm and fast greens, similar to Philly Cricket at the 2025 Truist. The greens that Hanse restored to some of the original Donald Ross designs are very undulating and players will have to be creative on and around the greens. 

If we do get firm and fast conditions, this will require players to control their spin out of the fairway and the rough. If we get soft conditions, as I am looking at right now, rain is in the forecast, players will be attacking pins all day. The golf course isn’t long so giving these players middle irons all day on soft greens is not a challenge for them. 

Aside from trying to predict how the golf course is going to play, and after watching these videos, I’m stoked to be on property to walk the golf course and see it in person. The golf course seems to be in pristine condition and can’t wait to put my golf architecture nerd hat on and take it all in. It would be great if we can get a close finish down the stretch to get some excitement and to get those Philly golf fans something to cheer or BOO about on Sunday afternoon. 

I have been waiting for the major championship for years and can’t wait for Aronimink to showcase what the Philadelphia golf scene is all about.

I will be on the grounds on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so if you are in discord or on Twitter, DM me and I would love to meet up. I will be posting some thoughts on how I see the golf course is playing and what stats and players I will be targeting. I will be going on our Tuesday night premium show with Andy and Steve to answer all subscribers' questions and then our Wednesday night ball knowers after dark show with Andy, Rishi, and Kyle to provide my final thoughts. 

I can’t wait for next week and hope to see some of you out there.

The PGA Tour Schedule and Structure Needs To Change

There’s been a lot of talk and chatter exposing the PGA Tour for its scheduling and signature event structure this week. I just feel there’s been a lack of energy and buzz about this year's Truist Championship. 

Is it because we have a signature event before the second major of the year? 

Is it because we are going back to a stale golf course at Quail Hollow? 

Is it because we have the same field of players in a no cut event? 

I believe all three of these questions you can answer yes too. 

The PGA Tour needs to abolish these no cut fields and expand the marquee events back to 120 players. We are watching the same players at these signature events and many are starting to seem disinterested.

We were promised by the old regime that the hosts of these signature events would rotate each year. We haven’t seen that come to much fruition. We only saw that a couple years ago when the Phoenix Open was a signature event and it got booted from that status for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

The PGA Tour added the Cadillac Championship this year but the tournament lacked excitement over the weekend. That might have been due to Cam Young running away with it, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Doral from a television and entertainment product. 

Rolapp mentioned in his press conference from The Players back in March that it might take some time for the schedule to be fully revamped and implemented. We shall see if there are any further updates regarding the schedule when he speaks to the press at The Travelers in June.

Shoutout the Twitterless Steve for going 20-3 on round score props at the Cadillac Championship. He saw an edge with the weather that the sportsbooks did not adjust for with the round score prop market.